Monday, August 10, 2009

The Problem with Diversity




Diversity

A polarizing subject...divisive, political....

My eldest son is learning about diversity the hard way. He is busy applying to medical schools all over the country this summer - he graduates in the spring. During this odessey of writing essay after essay, he's found that each school makes it a point to express to future students the school's commitment to diversity. The statement is everywhere.

Amazingly, schools today attempt to diversify their enrollment using race as significant piece of criteria for admission (In 2003 a Supreme Court decision concerning affirmative action in universities allowed educational institutions to consider race as a factor in admitting students). Sure they'll look at grade point averages, test scores and after school activities however the one word that keeps popping up is diversity. Judging by the FAQ's that each medical school publishes about it's incoming class, the closer to 50% enrollment of people of color the better. That leaves 1/2 the seats open to: students of the schools undergraduate programs, and in-state applicants from other schools. Brutal odds. That's why students apply to so many schools; upwards of 20+. There are only 120 total medical schools in the nation to begin with.

News from last week brings us another example of diversity in action - this time by grown ups: President Obama's pick for the Supreme Court of the United States, Sonia Sotomayor, was sworn in last week as a member, and the first hispanic, of that esteemed body of judicial excellence.


Obama surely selected Sotomayer not because she was the best or the brightest legal mind in the land - he picked her because she was hispanic AND a female. By picking Sotomayer, he assured himself the support of both groups when the 2012 election rolls around. He'll be able to stand tall at podiums across the land and say, "Remember what I did in 2009? I need your vote."

Imagine the outrage if Obama had picked an Ivy league educated white male? By the way, Sotomayer is a Princeton grad and graduated from Yale Law. Admittedly though she conceded that it was ethnic diversity that got her into Princeton in the first place and that she struggled mightily academically for the first few years.

Diversity....The pendulum has swung the other direction and now it's stuck.




Personally I don't care what the color is of someone's skin, what religion they espouse or what country they hail from. I'd just prefer that the most qualified people be hired to man our courts (pun intended) and become our future doctors, teachers, firefighters and police officers.

How "diversity" became such a political topic with so much sizzle is puzzling. It's like a weed that sprouted in the grass - you leave for summer vacation and upon your return, the weeds have taken over the yard. You find yourself buckling under the weight of the problem and instead of rolling up your sleeves to weed the garden, you simple turn the hose on and water the mess.

So much for picking the best person for the job huh?

14 comments:

Alec and Tiffany said...

Amen, brother. Amen. Pick the most qualified students. When I go in for surgery some day, I want a Dr. who was accepted because he was smart, not because he was the smartest member of X minority. Time to go work on more essays :)

ACR

steve said...

i don't get the pun

Alec and Tiffany said...

I'm anxiously awaiting a post about preseason football and your expectations. Eagles are playing a preseason game tonight, I believe. I can't find it anywhere on TV unfortunately. Dang! See you Saturday!

ACR

Wendy said...

I must agree with all of you...just look around you and you'll see what being diverse has done so far...not so great..lets reward people on their merit (like back in the day) when the only way you could get into a college was with the grades that you worked so hard to earn...not based on your race or your ethnic background...Wendy

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